Scottish Executive

Aggregates Tax

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made, or is making, any representations to Her Majesty's Government regarding the impact of the aggregates tax in Scotland, on whether Scotland and Northern Ireland are treated in the same way in respect of the tax and exemptions to it, and in support of a level playing field between Scotland and Northern Ireland on this matter.

Ross Finnie: No such representations have been made.

Care of Elderly People

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to establish specific vocational training for care workers in the elderly sector.

Euan Robson: The Scottish Social Services Council is responsible for the regulation and promotion of education and training of the social services workforce. The council will establish registers of key groups of staff and set qualifications criteria as part of the eligibility criteria for entry to the register.

  The council is currently involved in a consultation exercise which will inform the final decisions to set the qualifications criteria for workers in adult residential services. In developing the proposed qualifications framework for workers in adult residential services, the council will take account of the diverse nature of work in this sector.

  The council is also leading, on behalf of the UK, a review of the occupational standards for care, which includes occupational standards for the care of older people. The work should be complete by March 2004.

  The Scottish Executive is also establishing an Education, Training and Development Working Group as part of a National Workforce Group. This group will devise a training and development strategy covering all the social care workforce.

Child Protection

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-2058 by Peter Peacock on 3 September 2003, how the statement that the timetable for submission by Her Majesty's Government of the next periodic report of the UN Convention on the rights of the child is by 14 March 2008 is consistent with the statement in For Scotland's Children that Her Majesty's Government is committed to the submission of a report to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) every five years, whether it will prepare a Scottish chapter for inclusion in such a report, and whether the chapter will include its views about the detention of children in Dungavel House immigration removal centre in relation to the UNCRC.

Peter Peacock: The 14 March 2008 timetable for submission of the next periodic report was set by the UNCRC in their concluding observations on the United Kingdom's 2nd Report. The committee has asked the United Kingdom to delay its next report because of the pressure of other work on the committee. The final structure and content of the report will be determined closer to the date of publication.

Defence

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to Her Majesty's Government regarding the consultation process on the interim storage of laid-up submarines.

Ross Finnie: Subsequent to the Ministry of Defence's announcement on 11 September, the Executive has been in contact with the UK Government on this matter, and will be actively involved in this consultation process in relation to devolved responsibilities.

Dentistry

Mr Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to address any problems of access to dental provision encountered by people living in remote areas.

Mr Tom McCabe: The Scottish Executive has introduced a number of initiatives aimed at improving NHS general dental services, including the remote area allowance and a recruitment and retention package. The recruitment and retention package has enhanced incentives for dentists in designated areas. We intend to keep the need for incentives which attract and retain dentists within the National Health Service under constant review.

Digital Technology

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-1422 by Tavish Scott on 5 August 2003, what the (a) estimated and (b) actual costs have been of (i) the broadband Pathfinder projects, (ii) Project ATLAS and (iii) the trading exchange in each year since the inception of each project, broken down by cost centre accounting headings.

Tavish Scott: The Pathfinder projects are at present part way through the procurement process and, therefore, there has been no expenditure incurred on the provision of broadband services to date. Expenditure on related legal, financial and technical advice to the Pathfinder project team totalled £151,000 in 2001-02 and £547,000 in 2002-03 compared to estimated expenditure of £500,000 in each of these two years.

  The costs associated with Project Atlas and the Telecoms Trading Exchange are operational matters for Scottish Enterprise.

Digital Technology

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-1422 by Tavish Scott on 5 August 2003, which (a) individuals and (b) organisations have received (i) funding and (ii) assistance other than funding from (1) the broadband pathfinder projects, (2) Project ATLAS and (3) the trading exchange in each year since the inception of each project, detailing the nature of the other assistance provided

Tavish Scott: The Pathfinder Projects are at present part way through the procurement process. No contracts have yet been signed and hence no payments made for the provision of broadband services.

  Funding and assistance other than funding in relation to Project ATLAS and the Trading Exchange are operational matters for Scottish Enterprise.

Digital Technology

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-1422 by Tavish Scott on 5 August 2003, which (a) individuals and (b) organisations are scheduled to receive (i) funding and (ii) assistance other than funding from (1) the broadband Pathfinder project, (2) Project ATLAS and (3) the trading exchange in each of the next two years, detailing the other assistance to be provided

Tavish Scott: For the Pathfinder projects, no decisions on the allocation of funding have yet been taken since the projects are only part way through the procurement process, but the aim of the projects is to provide broadband services to the partner local authorities and health bodies involved.

  Funding and assistance other than funding under Project ATLAS and the trading exchange are operational matters for Scottish Enterprise.

Education

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to reverse the decline in the number of secondary school pupils taking maths and science-based subjects.

Peter Peacock: It is for education authorities and schools to decide on the course options they provide. There are opportunities within the five to 14 curriculum for all pupils to take maths and science-based subjects. The availability of national qualifications in maths and science-based subjects enables students of all abilities to work towards challenging but achievable qualifications. The number of entries for National Qualifications in maths has risen since 1999, although there has been a slight decline in some science-based National Qualification subjects.

  The Scottish Executive is, however, implementing a range of measures to encourage young people to take up school science courses. In line with the Science Strategy, education authorities have been allocated an additional £10 million over three years. This new funding will enable teachers to undertake high-quality professional updating in science and provide additional equipment and other resources to schools. The Scottish Executive is also undertaking a series of measures to improve numeracy including issuing to all education authorities and schools National Statements on Improving Attainment in Literacy and Numeracy.

Education

John Farquhar Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to promote activity-based education in schools.

Peter Peacock: The Scottish Executive has taken a number of steps to promote activity-based education in schools, including the establishment of a PE Review Group, an Active Schools Working Group and the Scottish Health Promoting Schools Unit. Funding has also been made available to adapt and develop the School Sports Co-ordinator Programme as part of the Active Schools Programme.

Education

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether its analysis of the 148 responses to its consultation on the draft Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Bill will be published when the bill is introduced.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish those responses to its consultation on the draft Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Bill that indicate that the complete removal of the Record of Needs will be beneficial for children with special educational needs.

Peter Peacock: The Scottish Executive's response to the 148 responses received during the consultation on Assessing our children's educational needs: the way forward? was published in February 2002, copies of which are available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 19469). Copies of all the responses are held in the Scottish Executive library.

  The draft Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Bill was published for consultation on 17 January 2003. There were 252 written responses received and copies are held in the Scottish Executive library. A composite report summarising both the written comments and those made during the consultation events and follow-up meetings will be published when the bill is introduced to Parliament. Copies of the report will be placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre.

Energy

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many petrol stations have (a) been awarded grants to install and (b) installed facilities for liquefied petroleum gas in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority area.

Nicol Stephen: Grants to install liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) equipment have been awarded as shown in the following table:

  

 Local Authority
 Year
 No. of Petrol 
  Stations Awarded Grants


 Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar
 2000-01
 1


 Highland
 2000-01
 2


 Shetland
 2000-01
 2


 Aberdeenshire
 2001-02
 6


 Angus
 2001-02
 1


 Argyll and Bute
 2001-02
 4


 Dumfries and Galloway
 2001-02
 1


 Highland
 2001-02
 4


 Moray
 2001-02
 1


 Perth and Kinross
 2001-02
 1


 Moray
 2003-04
 1


 Total
 24



  Information regarding the total number of petrol stations that have installed LPG facilities across Scotland is not collected by the Executive.

Energy

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many vehicles have been converted to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) using grants provided by it in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority.

Lewis Macdonald: The information required is set out in the following table .The Scottish Executive provides funding for conversion of vehicles to alternative fuels, mainly LPG, in two ways. Firstly, it funds the Energy Saving Trust's UK PowerShift programme. In addition, the Scottish Executive launched a complementary scheme called autogas+, in July 2002. Autogas+ supports the efforts of the PowerShift programme but aims to widen uptake of LPG in Scotland and address particular Scottish issues such as take up in rural areas. Figures for both programmes have been provided.

  These figures have been supplied by the Energy Saving Trust (EST) who administer both programmes in Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Executive.

  

 Local Authority
 PowerShift
 Autogas+


 1999
 2000
 2001
 2002
 2003
 Total
 2002
 2003
 Total


 Aberdeen City
 0
 10
 3
 1
 0
 14
 7
 6
 13


 Aberdeenshire
 9
 6
 1
 0
 0
 16
 9
 21
 30


 Angus
 0
 4
 3
 4
 1
 12
 1
 6
 7


 Argyll and Bute
 0
 0
 0
 0
 17
 17
 3
 3
 6


 City of Edinburgh
 0
 10
 13
 13
 12
 48
 1
 9
 10


 Clackmannanshire
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0


 Comhairle nan Eilean
 0
 0
 0
 1
 0
 1
 0
 0
 0


 Dumfries and Galloway
 0
 2
 0
 0
 0
 2
 2
 2
 4


 Dundee City
 6
 6
 4
 2
 0
 18
 4
 1
 5


 East Ayrshire
 0
 0
 0
 2
 1
 3
 0
 1
 1


 East Dunbartonshire
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 1
 1


 East Lothian
 0
 2
 1
 3
 0
 6
 0
 0
 0


 East Renfrewshire
 0
 0
 13
 0
 0
 13
 0
 0
 0


 Falkirk
 3
 1
 29
 19
 2
 54
 0
 2
 2


 Fife
 3
 49
 0
 0
 0
 52
 5
 7
 12


 Glasgow City
 233
 44
 90
 33
 2
 402
 4
 11
 15


 Highland
 0
 4
 6
 6
 1
 17
 13
 36
 49


 Inverclyde
 0
 1
 0
 1
 0
 2
 0
 0
 0


 Midlothian
 0
 1
 23
 32
 0
 56
 0
 0
 0


 Moray
 1
 14
 2
 6
 11
 34
 2
 5
 7


 North Ayrshire
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0


 North Lanarkshire
 0
 17
 34
 48
 2
 101
 0
 7
 7


 Orkney Islands
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 1
 1


 Perth and Kinross
 0
 4
 5
 6
 0
 15
 3
 3
 6


 Renfrewshire
 0
 22
 2
 2
 1
 27
 0
 1
 1


 Scottish Borders
 0
 12
 4
 2
 0
 18
 0
 4
 4


 Shetland Islands
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0


 South Ayrshire
 2
 24
 0
 0
 0
 26
 0
 2
 2


 South Lanarkshire
 8
 6
 3
 2
 0
 19
 1
 5
 6


 Stirling
 6
 7
 3
 4
 0
 20
 1
 0
 1


 West Dunbartonshire
 1
 0
 0
 1
 0
 2
 0
 1
 1


 West Lothian
 2
 15
 10
 13
 2
 42
 0
 10
 10


 Total
 274
 261
 249
 201
 52
 1037
 56
 145
 201



  Note:

  Figures for 2003 cover a five-month period up to end August 2003.

Fisheries

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when and where it expects the first regional advisory council proposed under the recent Common Fisheries Policy review to be established; what form it will take, and what its impact will be on the Scottish fishing industry.

Ross Finnie: We understand that the Commission are likely to publish a formal proposal for a Council Regulation in the near future. Unless this proposal meets with unexpected opposition, we can expect a Council decision establishing the first Regional Advisory Councils (RAC) in the course of 2004.

  There are groups of stakeholders interested in developing RAC proposals for the North Sea, the Irish Sea and the South West.

  We expect the proposed regulation enabling the establishment of RACs to fix only very fundamental principles, leaving significant decisions to be taken by individual RACs as to their own structures and operation.

  RACs should be bodies in which all stakeholders with interests in fisheries management can develop ways forward to which all parties can subscribe. This will be of direct benefit to the industry as it will influence policy at European level.

General Register Office for Scotland

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any television programmes have been sponsored by the General Register Office for Scotland and, if so, which programmes have been sponsored and how much money has been spent on such sponsorship.

Hugh Henry: The Scottish Television series "Celtic America", was sponsored by the ScotlandsPeople.gov.uk website. The cost of this sponsorship was borne jointly by the General Register Office for Scotland (GROS) and Scotland on Line, the GROS private sector partner in the website. The ScotlandsPeople website will also be sponsoring "This Scotland", a series due to be broadcast in November. The cost to GROS of sponsoring both programmes will be £9,420.27. GROS are monitoring the effect that sponsorship and publicity has on the business generated on the internet site and to date GROS are satisfied that the costs represent value for money.

Health

Miss Annabel Goldie (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to launch a nationwide campaign to raise awareness of endometriosis.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive has no plans to launch a nationwide campaign to raise awareness of endometriosis.

Health

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it was represented at a conference hosted by the Italian presidency of the European Union on the issue of a preventative approach to health care and the promotion of healthy lifestyles scheduled for 3 to 4 September 2003 and, if so, by whom.

Malcolm Chisholm: Officials from the Department of Health, on behalf of all the UK Health Departments, attended this conference. Feedback from the conference will be made available to the devolved administrations.

Higher Education

Frances Curran (West of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to address the funding situation of Scottish universities and the impact on them of tuition fees being charged at English universities.

Mr Jim Wallace: Changes to the fee regime for higher education in England are not planned until 2005-06, subject to parliamentary approval. We have initiated a third phase of our review of higher education in order to consider the possible impacts on Scottish higher education of any new funding system introduced in England. We are working closely with a range of interested organisations to gather and analyse relevant data. The third phase of the review is due to report early in 2004. The funding of higher education will then be considered in the usual way in the forthcoming spending review.

Licensing

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider allowing alcohol to be sold at Murrayfield Stadium and selected football grounds on a trial basis.

Mr Frank McAveety: The Nicholson Report made a number of suggestions in this area and ministers are currently considering all the aspects of that report.

Lightning

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people were killed by lightning strikes in each of the last 10 years.

Hugh Henry: In the last 10 years lightning killed two people in Scotland, one each in 1995 and 1996.

Lightning

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has issued, or plans to issue, on how to avoid lightning strikes and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Hugh Henry: The Scottish Executive has no current plans to issue guidance on how to avoid lightning strikes as the Hazardous Installations Directorate within the Health and Safety Executive are the competent authority in this area and are responsible for the issue of all guidance. Guidance for protection against lightning can be found on the Health and Safety Executive's website and in British Standard 6651:1992.

Ministerial Meetings

Mr Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will next meet the chairman of HBOS plc.

Mr Andy Kerr: Scottish ministers meet regularly with business leaders as part of an on-going programme aimed at listening to the views of the business community. In particular, ministers have met with the six largest companies - of which HBOS is one - to discuss strategic issues facing the Scottish economy. The next such meeting is scheduled for early October. I personally met senior representatives from HBOS on two occasions last year.

NHS Hospitals

Mike Pringle (Edinburgh South) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-1508 by Malcolm Chisholm on 12 August 2003, how many representations it has received from (a) patients, (b) visitors and (c) staff regarding car parking at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive has received 30 representations in total. Of these, there have been eight from patients, 12 from visitors and 10 from staff.

NHS Hospitals

Mike Pringle (Edinburgh South) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-1508 by Malcolm Chisholm on 12 August 2003, what percentage of the representations it has received regarding car parking at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh were about costs.

Malcolm Chisholm: Of the 30 representations received, 83% (i.e. 25) have related to costs.

NHS Staff

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to increase the number of consultants working at the Golden Jubilee National Hospital, Clydebank, and, if so, from where these consultants will be drawn.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Golden Jubilee National Hospital is an NHS Scotland Special Health Board. Its senior management team is responsible for reviewing the services provided and staffing levels.

  The Scottish Executive is committed to increasing the number of consultants in the NHS by 600 by 2006 and continuing to build on that increase thereafter.

NHS Staff

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive from which NHS boards consultants are being drawn to work in the Golden Jubilee National Hospital, Clydebank.

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many consultants working in the Golden Jubilee National Hospital, Clydebank were drawn from hospitals in the Glasgow NHS Board Area.

Malcolm Chisholm: This information is not held centrally.

NHS Staff

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to ensure that waiting times do not increase at those hospitals affected by consultants and other health service staff moving to work at the Golden Jubilee National Hospital, Clydebank.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Golden Jubilee National Hospital is helping to reduce NHS waiting times across Scotland, particularly for patients experiencing the longest waits.

  The Executive has set clear national waiting times guarantees and targets which apply to all NHS board areas. All boards are committed to achieving the nine-month maximum wait guarantee for in-patient and day case treatment by the end of December this year. It is for the boards to take whatever actions are necessary, including recruitment and retention of staff and arranging for patients to be treated at the Golden Jubilee National Hospital, to ensure that the guarantee is delivered.

NHS Staff

Alasdair Morgan (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many consultant vacancies there are in each speciality in the NHS.

Alasdair Morgan (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of consultant posts in the NHS are vacant, broken down by speciality.

Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is published in Table B16 of Scottish Health Statistics , the website of the Information and Statistics Division of NHSScotland. Scottish Health Statistics can be accessed via the following link: http://www.isdscotland.org/isd .

Non-Departmental Public Bodies

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether expenditure by non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) is properly controlled and achieves value for money.

Mr Andy Kerr: Funding provided by the Scottish Executive to NDPBs is authorised by the Scottish Parliament. NDPBs operate under defined financial arrangements to ensure accountability and the efficient and effective use of resources in accordance with the principles of Best Value.

Nursery Nurses

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what efforts it has made to assist with the resolution of the nursery nurses' industrial action.

Euan Robson: The Scottish Executive will continue to encourage the local authorities and unions to keep talking, in order to reach a settlement that is fair for the nursery nurses and financially sustainable for the local authorities.

  Pay and conditions are a matter for employers and this dispute must be resolved between the local authorities and the trade unions. I am pleased to note that some local discussions are taking place and that, in at least one area, a settlement has already been agreed.

Planning

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take in respect of the erection of agricultural buildings that are inappropriate for a local area and exempt from planning consent requirements.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: Permitted development rights (PDRs) grant planning permission across Scotland for various classes of minor development. Where PDRs apply to the erection of agricultural buildings, there is a restriction on the size of the building and a prior approval procedure exists. This provides an opportunity for the planning authority to examine the siting, design and external appearance of the proposed building and to seek amendments if necessary or to refuse to allow a development to go ahead.

  We are satisfied that there are sufficient safeguards in place to guard against inappropriate development and we have no plans at present to alter the existing arrangements.

Planning

Mike Pringle (Edinburgh South) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the maximum number of car parking places would be for a 20,000 seater stadium; whether any exceptions can be made to this number of parking places, and what criteria would be used to define sufficient coach parking provision, as referred to in Scottish Planning Policy 17, Transport and Planning Maximum Parking Standards .

Mrs Mary Mulligan: The National Maximum Parking Standards contained in Scottish Planning Policy 17: Transport and Planning Maximum Parking Standards: Addendum to NPPG 17 , published March 2003, sets a maximum figure for car parking at a 20,000 seat stadium of 1,333 (one space per 15 seats). In addition to this would be parking for disabled users of at least 57 spaces. A planning authority is fully entitled to operate more stringent standards in their area resulting in a figure less than 1,333. Coach parking is a matter for the local authority to determine. This may depend on mode share targets set by the authority, on availability of coach parking elsewhere in the vicinity, and on experience of the number of coaches typically likely to be involved in events at the stadium.

Planning

Mike Pringle (Edinburgh South) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what regard Midlothian Council must pay to paragraph 70 of National Planning Policy Guideline 11, Sport, Physical Recreation and Open Spaces , before taking a decision on a new football stadium at Straiton.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-2110 on 16 September 2003. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search..

Police

Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West): To ask the Scottish Executive how many police officers there are per head of population, broken down by police force area.

Cathy Jamieson: The information is given in the following table:

  

 Force
 Number 
  of Police Officers Per Head of Population


 Central Scotland Police
 0.0027


 Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary
 0.0033


 Fife Constabulary
 0.0027


 Grampian Police
 0.0025


 Lothian and Borders Police
 0.0031


 Northern Constabulary
 0.0025


 Strathclyde Police
 0.0034


 Tayside Police
 0.0030


 Total
 0.0031



  Notes:

  (i) Police officer numbers as at June 30 2003.

  (ii) Population figures are a mid-year estimate for 2002.

Post Office

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made, or will make, to the Royal Mail regarding the economic impact of its proposed closure of sub-post offices in Glasgow.

Allan Wilson: Detailed arrangements for the restructuring of the post office network are operational matters for Royal Mail which is answerable to its regulator and the UK Government on all aspects of these reserved matters. The Scottish Executive ensures that account is taken of the circumstances in Scotland, has introduced a scheme to assist redevelopment of post offices in deprived urban areas and will maintain contact with the UK Government and Royal Mail to identify any further options for action.

Prison Service

Nicola Sturgeon (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether HM Prison Kilmarnock offers good value for money based on its performance.

Cathy Jamieson: Yes, it offers excellent value for money.

Rail Network

Iain Smith (North East Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Office of the Rail Regulator, the Strategic Rail Authority and Network Rail regarding track maintenance and improvements.

Peter Peacock: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the Office of the Rail Regulator, the Strategic Rail Authority and Network Rail on a wide range of issues including track maintenance and improvements.

Renewable Energy

Frances Curran (West of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding has been allocated to electricity generating companies for the past year for research and development into renewable energy sources.

Frances Curran (West of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive which electricity generating companies have received funding over the last year for research and development into renewable energy.

Frances Curran (West of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria are used to determine funding levels allocated to electricity generating companies for research and development into renewable energy.

Lewis Macdonald: The main research and development budget for renewable energy is held by the Department of Trade and Industry, with £55 million available for renewables research and development projects across the UK in the two-year period to 2004. We announced on 28 August this year that the Executive would contribute £194,000 to Talisman Energy (UK) to assist in developing a demonstration project for the world's first deep water offshore wind farm, as part of our £1 million budget for the promotion of renewable energy.

Roads

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether sufficient funding is given to Highland Council to maintain the road infrastructure in its area.

Peter Peacock: Funding for local roads and bridges forms part of the general Local Government Finance settlement. As part of this, Highland Council will receive above inflation increases in revenue support of 8.0% this year, and of 5.1% and 3.6% over the next two years. It is a matter for the council to decide its own spending priorities.

Roads

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports the proposals by Amey Highways Ltd to increase the number of winter maintenance patrols on the A76 and A701.

Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive has asked Amey Highways Ltd to prepare a business case for introducing winter maintenance patrols on the A76 and A701. The Executive will consider Amey's proposals and make a decision based on the merits of the case before the 2003-04 winter period.

Roads

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many crawler lanes there are on the trunk road network; what distance each such lane covers, and what the location is of each such lane.

Nicol Stephen: A crawler or climbing lane is defined as an additional lane added to a single or dual carriageway on gradients greater than 2% and 3% respectively and longer than 500 metres. These additional lanes provide guaranteed overtaking opportunities and improve safety and capacity.

  There are 21 crawler lanes on the trunk road network in Scotland and these are detailed as follows:

  

 Route
 Location
 Overtaking Lane 
  Length in Metres


 A1
 A1107 Burnmouth to Ayton Junction (south)
 1,500


 A1
 C130 Cockburnspath to Cockburnspath Roundabout
 2,490


 A68
 C83 Oxton to Soutra Hill
 3,570


 A68
 Soutra Hill to B6368 Gilston Road
 1,350


 A75
 The Glen
 1,340


 A75
 Ramhill
 2,917


 A75
 Twynholm
 1,383


 A75
 Gatehouse of Fleet Bypass (3 sections) 
  (964 + 638 + 2227)
 3,829


 A75
 Glenluce Bypass
 1,624


 A77
 Bennane Hill
 1,692


 A77
 Holmstone to Bankwell
 550


 A82
 South of Rubha Mor
 505


 A830
 Polnish Hill
 1,139


 A830
 Glenmamie Hill
 619


 A9
 Glastullich Roundabout to Calrossie Woods
 1,150


 A96
 Boghole
 890


 A96
 Glenn of Foudland
 1,440


 A96
 Drumdelgie
 1,900


 A96
 Dramlachs
 2,200


 A96
 Alves
 896


 A96
 Newtongarry to Adamston
 1,300

Roads

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many overtaking lanes there are on the trunk road network; what distance each such lane covers, and what the location is of each such lane.

Nicol Stephen: An overtaking lane, as opposed to a climbing lane, is defined as a widening of a single carriageway to provide two lanes in one direction whilst the opposing traffic is restricted to one lane. These additional lanes are added to single carriageways on gradients greater than 0% but less than 2% and longer than 500 metres. These additional lanes provide guaranteed overtaking opportunities and improve safety and capacity.

  There are four overtaking lanes on the trunk road network in Scotland and these are detailed as follows:

  

 Route
 Location
 Overtaking Lane 
  Length in Metres


 A68
 End of northbound climbing lane to Huntershall 
  Junction
 925


 A68
 Huntershall Junction to end of southbound 
  climbing lane
 1,025


 A68
 Leaderfoot to Drygrange Mains
 850


 A7
 Meikledalehaugh to Mosspeeble
 915

Rural Development

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding it allocated to the Rural Petrol Station Grant Scheme in each year since 1999 and how much it will allocate to this scheme in each of the next three years.

Nicol Stephen: £400,000 has been allocated to the Rural Petrol Stations Grant Scheme each year since 1998-99, except 1999-2000 when the allocation was increased to £700,000 as a result of additional funding made available for rural transport measures in the 1999 budget. Funding over the next three years (2003-04 to 2005-06) is budgeted to remain at £400,000 per year.

Schools

Miss Annabel Goldie (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-1189 by Peter Peacock on 17 July 2003, when it expects to find out how Inverclyde Council intends to address the issues with regard to the school estate in Inverclyde.

Peter Peacock: We expect all councils to submit summaries of their school estate management plans to the Scottish Executive no later than the end of December 2003.

Scottish Executive Publications

Rosie Kane (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total publication costs of its consultation documents have been for each of the last four years.

Mr Andy Kerr: All Scottish Executive consultation documents for the last four years can be found on the Scottish Executive website at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/views/views.asp . There is currently no central record of costs and such detailed information could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Sport

Mr Ted Brocklebank (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will respond to St. Andrews International Golf Club's decision to apply directly to the Executive for planning approval for the proposed development at Feddinch, St. Andrews.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: The planning appeal to Scottish ministers from the St Andrews International Golf Club has only recently been received by the Inquiry Reporters Unit and is in the early stages of the appeal process. At this point, it has not been decided whether the appeal will proceed by public local inquiry or by an exchange of written submissions.

Sport

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will mark the European Year of Education through Sport in 2004 and, if so, how.

Mr Frank McAveety: We will, together with  sportscotland and the Youth Sport Trust, consider how the year might be marked in Scotland. Meanwhile,  sportscotland recently issued a briefing note produced by the Youth Sport Trust to organisations in Scotland which might be interested in applying for EC funding for appropriate projects.

Taxation

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to Her Majesty's Government regarding more tax powers being devolved to the Scottish Parliament.

Mr Andy Kerr: None.

Teachers

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what structures it has in place to monitor, review and examine the implementation of the McCrone agreement.

Peter Peacock: The Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT), a tripartite body with representatives from local authorities, teacher organisations and the Scottish Executive, is responsible for the implementation of all aspects of the agreement A Teaching Profession for the 21st Century . The SNCT has procedures in place within its workplan to ensure full implementation of the agreement by August 2006.

Waste Management

John Scott (Ayr) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21643 by Ross Finnie on 23 January 2002, what method will be used to establish baseline figures in respect of the amount of controlled waste collected by, or for, local authorities for the purposes of meeting its obligations under the EU Landfill Directive (1999/31/EC) and when it will publish the 1995 baseline tonnage figures for each local authority.

Ross Finnie: The Executive will shortly be consulting on how it will allocate allowances to the 32 local authorities in Scotland in scheme years. This allocation will not necessarily be based on the levels landfilled in 1995. There are therefore no plans at present to publish the 1995 tonnages.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Scottish Parliament and Business Exchange

Frances Curran (West of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Presiding Officer when the website of the Scottish Parliament and Business Exchange will be re-established.

Mr Andrew Welsh (on behalf of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body): The website is now re-established at www.spbe.org.uk.